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Sig Sauer P938 - Carry Method
- Thread starter YankeeIronSights
- Start date
Regardless of how strong and positively the safety lever engages in the safe position, there is always the possibility of it being bumped off. Once it is off, the weapon isn't far from a negligent discharge if something gets inside the trigger guard.
Which is why, as I opined earlier in this thread, I wish the little SIG had a grip safety, ala the 1911.
buckhorn_cortez
New member
Regardless of how strong and positively the safety lever engages in the safe position, there is always the possibility of it being bumped off. Once it is off, the weapon isn't far from a negligent discharge if something gets inside the trigger guard.
Then don't carry any polymer pistol with a blade safety in the trigger as you have exactly the same problem.
As has been proven with numerous Glock accidental discharges involving something getting into the trigger guard and then pulling on the trigger - any polymer gun with a blade trigger safety has a potential for discharge if something gets inside the trigger guard.
Then there's the HK P30 with the LEM trigger - essentially, no safety at all except the extremely long trigger pull.
What the P938 and P238 do have are mechanical firing pin blocks. The firing pin block has to move out of the way in order for the firing pin to travel forward - even if the hammer should somehow fall without the trigger being pulled.
If you examine the mechanism, the trigger has to be pulled slightly more than half way through its travel before the firing pin block moves out of the way.
Given that many pistols can be discharged if something gets inside the trigger guard, the P938 is no less safe than any of those pistols.
Regardless of how strong and positively the safety lever engages in the safe position, there is always the possibility of it being bumped off. Once it is off, the weapon isn't far from a negligent discharge if something gets inside the trigger guard.
My pocket holster covers both the trigger and the thumb safety. I just don't see an accident happening. If I have one, I'll submit to "I told you so!" but I stand about as good a chance of being hit by a meteor, I think.
But I think carrying cocked and locked inside a pocket or inside the waist band is a recipe for disaster.
Maybe you mean without a holster, in which case I agree.
Don't have a P938, but thinking about it. I have no concerns about carrying it cocked with safety engaged. I'm used to carrying a 1911 so this is not new to me. I think getting the proper holster that offers the best combination of conceal-ability, comfort, and retention may really elevate a lot of these concerns.
Just a few thoughts on actuating the safety on any 1911 style pistol and a cpl on holster design and selection.
In the defensive handgun courses I've attended it was stressed that the shooter establish a 'firing grip' while the gun was still in the holster and the manipulation of the safety lever is accomplished only as the gun comes up into firing position, in the last 10-15 degrees of elevation. The firing hand thumb sweeps the safety off at that point only after the decision to shoot has been reached.
So the size and ease or difficulty of using the safety lever becomes very important. In my use, I've always found 1911's safeties easy to find, have never found one too easy to slip off (both modern extended types as well as the WWll vintage ones), and have never hand one inadvertently disengage itself due to body movement while in the holster.
On the other hand, my Browning HP Mk lll with the modern extended safety is difficult to thumb actuate...it just doesn't stick out enough...while the P938 that I carried for several day on loan from my friend is about half way in between...any smaller and it would be difficult to find in a stressful encounter...any bigger and I'd be afraid it would hang up on clothing or holster and move to the "OFF" position..in other words, Sig got it about right. The detents seem about right too.
All that said, the holster used must allow a firing grip to be taken before the gun is moved, while simultaneously protecting the safety and magazine release from inadvertent movement. Many of the commercial holsters I've handled, do not accomplish these two requisites...choose wisely!
HTH's Rod
In the defensive handgun courses I've attended it was stressed that the shooter establish a 'firing grip' while the gun was still in the holster and the manipulation of the safety lever is accomplished only as the gun comes up into firing position, in the last 10-15 degrees of elevation. The firing hand thumb sweeps the safety off at that point only after the decision to shoot has been reached.
So the size and ease or difficulty of using the safety lever becomes very important. In my use, I've always found 1911's safeties easy to find, have never found one too easy to slip off (both modern extended types as well as the WWll vintage ones), and have never hand one inadvertently disengage itself due to body movement while in the holster.
On the other hand, my Browning HP Mk lll with the modern extended safety is difficult to thumb actuate...it just doesn't stick out enough...while the P938 that I carried for several day on loan from my friend is about half way in between...any smaller and it would be difficult to find in a stressful encounter...any bigger and I'd be afraid it would hang up on clothing or holster and move to the "OFF" position..in other words, Sig got it about right. The detents seem about right too.
All that said, the holster used must allow a firing grip to be taken before the gun is moved, while simultaneously protecting the safety and magazine release from inadvertent movement. Many of the commercial holsters I've handled, do not accomplish these two requisites...choose wisely!
HTH's Rod
Last edited:
S_Constitutionist
New member
I'm currently carrying a P938 Scorpion in a pocket holster, cocked and locked (condition 1). I've carried it about a year this way (and IWB). No problems.
I've always carried SAO pistols as thats what I shoot best. I've taken multiple pistol classes with them, and running the safety is automatic at this point.
If you are not confident to carry a round in the chamber, you need a better carry system and/or more training. The gun is safe. Its the person carrying it that may not be.
I've always carried SAO pistols as thats what I shoot best. I've taken multiple pistol classes with them, and running the safety is automatic at this point.
If you are not confident to carry a round in the chamber, you need a better carry system and/or more training. The gun is safe. Its the person carrying it that may not be.
Late to the thread, but a few points:
My P938 is my EDC, and I always carry it in Condition 1, loaded, cocked and locked. I have a wide variety of guns to choose from, but the P938 hits the right combination of easily concealable size, accuracy, and reliability for me. That said, a couple of observations and a heads-up:
Being able to rack the slide with the safety on is a big plus for me. I like to carry with the magazine full and a round in the chamber. To do so, you must put a loaded mag in the gun, rack the slide, remove the mag, load another round in it, then put it back in the gun. I feel better knowing I can do all that with the safety on.
It was easy for me to gain the muscle memory to operate the safety as the gun is coming out of the holster. As another poster mentioned upthread, the safety comes off automatically as my thumb moves into position on the grip, and goes back on before the gun is holstered. It's an automatic movement for me now, and I don't feel it slows me done one bit. Those who are opposed to the idea haven't trained for it. I have.
I carry the P938 in an Alien Gear IWB holster. Very comfortable, but shortly after getting the holster I discovered a problem. I always double check that the safety is on when I holster the gun and put it inside my waistband. On several occasions, I got back home and unholstered the gun only to find that the safety was disengaged. The first time or two, I thought maybe I had failed to engage the safety before gearing up in the morning. But after the third time, I decided it wasn't me...something else was going on. Upon closer examination, I found that the gun could move forward and back about 1/8" to 3/16" while in the holster. That movement, coupled with the semi-sticky neoprene backing of the Alien Gear holster, was just enough to disengage the safety. (I'm guessing it was happening when I'd sit in my car seat.) I used a heat gun to tweak the fit of the Kydex on the holster, tightening it in such a way as to prevent any fore and aft movement. Since doing that, I've had no "surprise" disengagement of the safety. So as a word of warning, if you are indeed carrying a P938 (or P238 or other similar SA guns), be sure it can't move in the holster in such a way as to allow the safety to become disengaged. Trust me, it's not a good feeling to pull the gun out of the holster at the end of the day only to find it's been in Condition 0 for part of the day. I suspect this issue may be unique to Alien Gear holsters with the neoprene backing. I've also carried a P238 in the past (before the wife stole if from me for her EDC), but I used a leather/Kydex hybrit IWB holster, and I never saw the problem happening with that gun.
My P938 is my EDC, and I always carry it in Condition 1, loaded, cocked and locked. I have a wide variety of guns to choose from, but the P938 hits the right combination of easily concealable size, accuracy, and reliability for me. That said, a couple of observations and a heads-up:
Being able to rack the slide with the safety on is a big plus for me. I like to carry with the magazine full and a round in the chamber. To do so, you must put a loaded mag in the gun, rack the slide, remove the mag, load another round in it, then put it back in the gun. I feel better knowing I can do all that with the safety on.
It was easy for me to gain the muscle memory to operate the safety as the gun is coming out of the holster. As another poster mentioned upthread, the safety comes off automatically as my thumb moves into position on the grip, and goes back on before the gun is holstered. It's an automatic movement for me now, and I don't feel it slows me done one bit. Those who are opposed to the idea haven't trained for it. I have.
I carry the P938 in an Alien Gear IWB holster. Very comfortable, but shortly after getting the holster I discovered a problem. I always double check that the safety is on when I holster the gun and put it inside my waistband. On several occasions, I got back home and unholstered the gun only to find that the safety was disengaged. The first time or two, I thought maybe I had failed to engage the safety before gearing up in the morning. But after the third time, I decided it wasn't me...something else was going on. Upon closer examination, I found that the gun could move forward and back about 1/8" to 3/16" while in the holster. That movement, coupled with the semi-sticky neoprene backing of the Alien Gear holster, was just enough to disengage the safety. (I'm guessing it was happening when I'd sit in my car seat.) I used a heat gun to tweak the fit of the Kydex on the holster, tightening it in such a way as to prevent any fore and aft movement. Since doing that, I've had no "surprise" disengagement of the safety. So as a word of warning, if you are indeed carrying a P938 (or P238 or other similar SA guns), be sure it can't move in the holster in such a way as to allow the safety to become disengaged. Trust me, it's not a good feeling to pull the gun out of the holster at the end of the day only to find it's been in Condition 0 for part of the day. I suspect this issue may be unique to Alien Gear holsters with the neoprene backing. I've also carried a P238 in the past (before the wife stole if from me for her EDC), but I used a leather/Kydex hybrit IWB holster, and I never saw the problem happening with that gun.
Safety resistance
At on time I had both the 238 and 938. Ended up selling the 938 because it would accidently release the magazine when firing (later learned this was a common problem with earlier models) and because the safety was so difficult to manipulate due to resistance. Have not had any of these issues with the 238 and wouldn't worry about accidently having the thumb safety disengage while carrying the gun in a good holster.
At on time I had both the 238 and 938. Ended up selling the 938 because it would accidently release the magazine when firing (later learned this was a common problem with earlier models) and because the safety was so difficult to manipulate due to resistance. Have not had any of these issues with the 238 and wouldn't worry about accidently having the thumb safety disengage while carrying the gun in a good holster.